Singapore
AGO Report reveals lapses in MOE’s school projects; Police report filed over possible falsifications
The AGO audit for FY2023/24 found lapses in the Ministry of Education’s management of school projects, including delayed approvals, improper valuations, and overpayments totaling S$317,100. Possible falsifications in quotations led MOE to file a police report. MOE is implementing stricter oversight and a new IT system.
SINGAPORE: The Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) has published its audit report for the financial year 2023/24, covering government financial statements, including the accounts of all 16 ministries and eight organs of the state.
The comprehensive audit also included three government funds, eight statutory boards, four government-owned companies, and two other accounts.
The report highlighted significant lapses in the management of school development projects under the Ministry of Education (MOE), culminating in a police report being filed over possible falsifications.
Lapses in Contract Management
AGO’s audit of MOE’s school development projects revealed serious lapses in contract management for three construction contracts, with a total value of S$171.8 million, for two primary schools and a junior college. Key findings include:
1. Approvals Obtained After Variation Works Commenced
AGO found that approvals for 45 out of 71 contract variations, amounting to S$4.4 million, were obtained after the variation works had commenced or been completed. These delays, ranging from one month to over four years, undermined the role of approving authorities and compromised financial prudence and discipline.
2. Lapses in Valuations of Contract Variations
In test-checking 12 contract variations totaling S$3.35 million, AGO found 55 instances in nine variations where the works were not properly valued. Errors included using incorrect rates and quantities, failing to deduct costs for undone work, and making payments for non-installed items. The total net possible overpayment to contractors was estimated at S$98,700.
3. Payments for Works Not Carried Out or Not in Accordance with Contractual Requirements
AGO’s site visits and checks revealed payments for unperformed or non-compliant works. Examples include S$49,400 for uninstalled student lockers and S$28,700 for missing textured spray coating on staircases. The estimated net possible overpayment for two contracts was S$218,400, with the assessment for the third contract still in progress. The total net possible overpayment across all contracts was S$317,100.
Long Delays in Finalisation of Accounts
AGO found delays in finalising accounts for two of the audited contracts and extended its checks to 18 additional contracts completed between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2023.
All 20 contracts experienced delays, affecting the cash flow of contractors. Delays ranged from two months to over three years. MOE committed to tying consultants’ progress payments to the timely finalisation of valuations and developing an IT system by end-2024 to improve tracking and reduce delays.
Possible Irregularities in Quotations for Star Rate Items
AGO’s audit of 512 star rate items under four construction contracts found possible irregularities in quotations for 230 items, totaling S$1.34 million. This raised concerns about the authenticity of the quotations and value for money. MOE has since lodged a police report and emphasized zero tolerance for document falsification, committing to raising awareness through training and regular sharing.
MOE’s Response and Improvements
MOE has acknowledged the lapses and committed to several improvements. The ministry plans to move towards more outcome-based project specifications to reduce the number of variations.
To enhance oversight, MOE will increase on-site supervision and conduct more frequent audits to verify works and ensure that variation approvals are obtained timely.
Additionally, MOE will allocate more resources to scrutinize the rates and computations used by consultants in their cost assessments of variations.
To hold consultants accountable, MOE will issue stern warnings to those who fail to seek timely approvals, perform proper valuations, or verify on-site works. These warnings will be taken into consideration during the appraisal of the consultants.
Furthermore, MOE is developing an IT system, expected to be completed by the end of 2024, to improve contract administration, including tracking variations and finalisation of accounts.
This system will enable officers to take action more promptly and help rectify any under or overpayments, said the ministry.
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What I like about Singapore :
1. No Crony Capitalism. Only Friends of the.
2. No Money Laundering.
3. No Corruption. Friends can gift friends.
4. Legalised Gambling and MBS etc.
5. Legalised Prostitution at legalised brothels.
SG has evolved post LKY. 👀
The incumbent throw in so much national resources to FIX and to bring down Worker’s Party in AHTC. Audits after audits, filing charges after charges, yet found not guilty after vso many years.
Yet their own kinds and elites are having their hands at the cookie jars and cakes which belongs to the nation.
With a different rules of the books only they can enjoy and protected within
Unaccountability outranks and supersedes breaches, lapses and dereliction of duties !!!, …… in SillyPore anyway !!!
Say so much oso no use. The three sides hemmed by that nuclear Familee will just hang there and nobody need to be held accountable. They are ready to murder and turn black to claim their human resources through fuck … The same thing they do over and over again.
Cronyism and nepotism are now and have been causing the unstoppable deterioration of governance in Singapore once shinning Ministries and Statutory institutions.The toothless Auditor-General hummed by one of their kind can only report for umpteen years lapses after lapses without taking an painful actions to reprimand those heading these Institutions.The responsible culprits hidden high up have not been asked to account and resign.So sad to witness that such out of norm continue to happen in our once Sunny Singapore.
Lapses Mistakes Oversights Lack Controls – –
all these are PURELY PAP TWISTERS just to BRAINWASH Sheeps that they are JUST that, just that.
And they NOT WANT Sheeps to LINK and BELIEVE PAP Administration HAS NOT CORRUPTED SG Govt Services to the Public.
If so THEN this PAP Administration is JOINT ACCOMPLICE to ALL these missteps, lapses and so on.
Ownself CHECK Ownself IS CERTAINLY MORE Than 100 X Corrupt.
Loong Biden Lawrence trump ain’t my PM!!! Nor Mrs Lee Yang Jamus … Not my boss … Dun need whole day harrass others
Which IDIOT LADY said SG can AFFORD to be CONTRARIAN.
Say already I am not Pap nor WP nor PSP entities. They wanna war monger. They start and stop harassing others to be their entities!!!
Cow Not coming to a corrupted Home. Persecute all you want. Cow not a shield for these bastard.
One can IMAGINE till the COWs COME HOME – the EFFECTIVENESS of CPIB to Prosecute SUCCESSFULLY Keppel Bribery Crimes – how is the Police Doing their jobs well enough?
No wonder under the PAP Administration GUIDANCE which claimed the SG Govt Services to people, for people, deserves PERKS of X months Bonuses and Xtra Allowances, SGpns must have been FELT CHEATED for years WHEN the likes of BELOW PAR CPIB were rewarded with Huge Tax Payers money.
A follow up report by the AG is required. The report should summarise the action taken by the various ministries and state organs on the officers who were involved. If these officers were incompetent, were they demoted? If not demoted, was the annual increment still given? Was the bonus held back too? For those criminally liable, what was the action taken against them? Were they suspended? What was the outcome of the police investigation and subsequent court decision (if any)? As an earlier comment noted; these lapses are repeated year after year. What is the G going to do to… Read more »
Be *DEADLY DEAD SERIOUS* – NOT play play with SINGAPORE’s FUTURE, YOUR Own Future – HOW MANY PRECIOUS YEARS LEFT – my Own Future, YOUR CHILDREN’s and GRANDCHILDREN’s FUTUREs:
** this PAP Administration Has NO MORE TOOLS inside their Brain’s Locker TOOLBOX **
** their CONSTANT SOLE FOCUS is:
– live in Big Bungalows
– OWN FAT salaries
– OWN Banks ACCOUNTS
– CHEAP WORKERS
– RELY on CECA for MAGIC.
DIDN’T and CANNOT SEE PROOFs??
Year after year and the “lapses” continue to happen. This is what happens when people who claim that Singapore has no space for 26 wild chickens and so they have to be killed or hide the fact that Hep C patients are dying during an election suffer NO CONSEQUENCES.
The AGO should study if such lapses are GROWING year by year as well.
We are a tiny, tiny island paying over a million dollars in salaries to Ministers and this is the outcome. Perhaps we need to lower the salaries to attract citizens who have a passion to serve the Public like Dr. Goh Keng Swee. The high salaries have only attracted incompetent free riders.
Do islanders now understand why there are so many constructions and renovations going on in Fantasy Island?
Are they all actually necessary or superfluous?
And who benefit if these are superfluous project?
Are they using your tax dollars and TC fees responsibly?
Remember the $800,000 rubbish bin center?
Vote wisely…. don’t ever give them a blank check!
S2
Ooh Lang Tau Chiak Lui ho,ho,ho – LET’s MOVE ON!
Btw this is what is call the Right Pocket goes to the Left pocket. See whose left pocket all these amount goes to. Most probably their realm two and realm three … No?!?
Corrupt Left Right. Ding dong ding dong …
Waters off a duck’s back.
The entire machinery is interconnected.. sure, the report does not make any of these ministries stellar. But who the heck cares anyway..??
70% bo chap
All PAP also bo chap
Ministers bo chap
Police reports..?? ha! ha!… who? who reported..??
It would take 42 man-years to investigate… that is the benchmark… a very high bar that PAP has set.
If anything, just vote for opposition. Any opposition.
It cannot get any worse within 4 years.
In fact it will bring in some fresh air.
So many lapses
一条龍
Thats right 1C